Bryant 9’s blank first two foes at Regionals

VANCLEAVE, Miss. — The Bryant 9-and-under Cal Ripken League All-Stars, South Arkansas State champions, opened[more] pool play at the Southwest Regional Tournament on Friday with a pair of one-sided victories. The Stars blasted the North Arkansas champions from Delta, 13-0, then dismissed Plaquemine, La., 10-0.

Bryant was set to complete pool play with a game against Oak Grove, Miss., today at 1 p.m.

Hathcote, Adams and Speer combined on a two-hit shutout and Bryant scored four times in the first and five times in the second to grab a big lead early. The Stars made it a run-rule advantage with another four runs in the top of the fifth.

Bryant’s four-run first started with a single by Noah Davis and a walk to Speer. They pulled off a pair of double steals to score the run before Wilson singled. He stole second and eventually scored after Schmidt singled. Clay singled him in to make it 4-0.

Hathcote surrendered a double and a walk to start the bottom of the inning. With runners at first and third, Dillon fielded a grounder to third and threw home for an out. A strikeout and a fly to McDonald in right ended the inning.

The Bryant starter worked around a one-out walk in the second, striking out the last two he faced.

Adams pitched past a pair of walks in the third by inducing a pop to second, a grounder to third for a force and a fly to center. In the fourth, he was greeted by Delta’s second hit but then he retired the side on a trio of groundballs.

Speer issued a one-out walk but got the second out of the fifth on strikes and ended it with a grounder to Noah Davis at short for a force at second.

In the meantime, Bryant unloaded in the second starting with a single by Orender. Hathcote walked and with Bates in as a courtesy runner, Orender stole third then raced home when Bates was thrown out trying to steal second.

Cooper Davis extended the inning with a walk then singles by Noah Davis, Speer, Wilson and Schmidlt made it 9-0.

Bryant finished off the rout in the fifth when McDonald walked but was forced at second on a grounder to third by Orender. With two down, Cooper Davis singled. Noah Davis walked and Speer singled before walks were issued to Wilson, Dillon and Bates to force in runs.

Bryant 10, Plaquemine, La. 0

Wilson and Noah Davis combined on a one-hit shutout and Bryant broke open a tight game with a four-run fourth. It was 6-0 going into the top of the sixth when Bryant scored four more and had a man at first with no one out when the Plaquemine coach threw in the towel.

Wilson pitched the first three innings and allowed the lone hit, a lead-off double to left-center in the second. Eight of the nine outs he recorded in his three innings came on strikes. He walked a pair.

Noah Davis issued three walks over the last two innings but Bryant picked off one of the runners in the fourth and all five of the other outs in the game came on strikes.

Bryant took a 1-0 lead in the first on hits by Noah Davis and Speer and a pair of groundouts by Wilson and Dillon.

It stayed 1-0 until Bryant’s four-run fourth. Wilson was hit by a pitch to start the frame and stole second. Dillon moved him up with a sacrifice then Schmidt singled him home. Clay sacrificed the Schmidt stole third. Consecutive walks to McDonald, Orender, Riggs, Hathcote and Noah Davis completed the scoring in the inning, which ended with the bases full.

Dillon singled, stole second and scored on a double by Clay to make it 6-0 in the fifth.

The game-ending uprising started with another walk to Hathcote and Noah Davis. Speer reached base then Wilson cleared the bags with a triple. Dillon singled him in and the Plaquemine coach called in his team.